About Us

What we do

Meet Our Team

Purpose & Values

NAMI Spokane offers hope and health for people who are experiencing mental health concerns and their families today, as we work to build a stigma-free tomorrow. Our education programs, support groups, and advocacy are offered at no cost to participants, and are all peer-led, by someone who has walked the same path.

Our Purpose

Empowering those affected by mental health conditions and their families to live their most fulfilling lives.

Our Values

Compassion, Courage and Community

We Have the Power to Impact People’s Lives, by Working Together.

Meet the NAMI Spokane Team

Everything we do is led by people who have been there too. You are not alone.

Our Staff

Chauntelle Lieske, Executive Director

chauntelle@namispokane.org

Robert Lang, Resource Navigator

robert@namispokane.org

Amanda Kaplan, Program Coordinator

amanda@namispokane.org

Our Board of Directors

Tamara Sheehan, President

This is Olivette Orme’s second term on NAMI Spokane’s Board of Directors. She first served from 2015 to 2018. She was born and raised in eastern North Carolina, attended high school in Richmond, Virginia then spent a year in the Netherlands as an exchange student with the American Field Service. She returned to North Carolina where she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1976. After a two years back in Richmond as the Executive Director of Richmond’s arts festival, June Jubilee, she moved West in 1980 work as the Executive Director of the Utah Arts Festival in Salt Lake City. There, she fell in love: with the West and with her husband, Eric, a Salt Lake native. They moved to Spokane in 1988 and raised three children, two sons and a daughter. Olivette discovered NAMI as a result of their youngest child who was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder when she was 13. She became a Family-to-Family teacher in 2014. Olivette has served on the Boards of Directors for Planned Parenthood and Saint George’s School and currently also serves on the Board for NAMI Washington. She is passionate about NAMI’s mission and excited to help build its capacity to serve the many in our community who live with mental illness as well as the families and friends who love them.

Olivette Orme, Secretary

Heidi Curnow, Vice President

Alexis Lundgren, Member-at-Large

Jenae Ball, Member-at-Large

Linda has lived in Spokane for over 35 years. She grew up in Seattle, majored in Spanish at the University of Washington and spent a year at the University of Madrid. In the 70’s she worked several years for the Girl Scouts, organizing troops and managing volunteers in Central and South Seattle. Linda moved to Spokane with her future husband, Tim, after getting an MBA. She worked in financial analysis over the course of 25 years at four community banks while raising two sons and a daughter. Her career wrapped up in 2015 after she’d spent several years as SVP/Treasurer at AmericanWest Bank. Linda became involved with NAMI Spokane after her younger son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2011. She and Tim attended a NAMI Family-to-Family course and Linda served on the NAMI Spokane board from 2016 to 2018. Her community involvement includes Transitions where she served as Board Chair from 2015 to 2017. Linda strongly believes in NAMI’s mission and wants to work in extending the reach of NAMI Spokane as it increases programs to serve a broader part of our community. Heidi Curnow

Linda Williams, Interim Treasurer

Rob McKinney, Member-at-Large

Shane Garcia, Member-at-Large

Dr. Pam Kohlmeier, Member-at-Large

Don Robinson, Member-at-Large

Chauntelle Lieske

Executive Director

Chauntelle has a B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware and comes to NAMI Spokane from Safe Passage in Coeur d'Alene, ID where she served as the Executive Director beginning in 2017. She started her work in the field of domestic and sexual violence as a criminal advocate on the Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Team supporting survivors within the criminal justice system. While still at the YWCA of Spokane, Chauntelle worked as the Associate Director of Legal Services before moving to Safe Passage as their Program Director. At Safe Passage, she was quickly promoted to Executive Director where she focused her efforts on building positive relationships with stakeholders and community members in order to strengthen the impact of their services.

Chauntelle has a passion for serving her community and ensuring all members have access to support and services. Her work with survivors sparked her desire in working with those living with mental health conditions. The long-term impact of trauma on survivors was often misunderstood leaving survivors with untreated mental health. In 2014 Chauntelle lost her mother to suicide and knew she was being called to help raise awareness around those living with mental health conditions. Chauntelle is passionate about the mission of NAMI Spokane and excited to ensure Spokane is building ways to support those living with mental health conditions while reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.

Robert Lang

Resource Navigator

Robert was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He recently completed six years active duty at Fairchild Air Force Base, and will be pursuing his MSW through Eastern Washington University in the fall.

Having fought his own battles with mental health and losing a friend to suicide, Robert knew NAMI was a good fit. Thankfully, they felt the same way! Robert’s goal is to help those in need navigate the complex landscape of the mental health system.

Robert is driven to destigmatize mental health regardless of age, identity, or political differences. When not pursuing that goal, Robert is making waves in the local agricultural scene of Spokane.

Amanda Kaplan, JD

Program Coordinator

Amanda was born and raised in Western Washington. She obtained her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington in Seattle and moved to Spokane to attend Gonzaga University School of Law where she received her JD in 2019. Amanda has a background in social justice and is passionate about working to remove the many biases and stigmas that people face throughout their lives.

Amanda’s passion for sharing knowledge and creating an inclusive community brought her to NAMI Spokane in April of 2021. Having had her own battles with anxiety and depression, she hopes to show students and community members that they are not alone and can achieve anything they set their minds to.

Amanda is a proud Washingtonian and is dedicated to making Washington a more welcoming and inclusive place where everyone can thrive. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and of course, binge-watching her favorite shows.

Tamara Sheehan

President

Tamara Sheehan is the Providence Regional Director for Behavioral Health for Eastern Washington. Her work targets Eastern Washington and also working on behavioral health initiatives throughout Washington State and Western Montana. Tamara has been a nurse in the Spokane Providence system since 2001 and was called to the field of behavioral health in 2013, which she says quickly became her passion. In the variety of her nursing experiences, she has witnessed firsthand the challenges of stigma and disparity issues experienced by those in our community trying to obtain the care they need. It is Tamara’s goal to work with others in the community and with organizations like NAMI to help address the very real stigma and disparity issues.

In her free time, Tamara enjoys taking advantage of the wonderful Northwest outdoor activities. If you ask her what her favorite outdoor activity is, she won’t skip a beat to let you know she enjoys golfing and will get out anywhere, anytime she can.

Olivette Orme

Secretary

This is Olivette Orme’s second term on NAMI Spokane’s Board of Directors. She first served from 2015 to 2018. She was born and raised in eastern North Carolina, attended high school in Richmond, Virginia then spent a year in the Netherlands as an exchange student with the American Field Service. She returned to North Carolina where she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1976. After two years back in Richmond as the Executive Director of Richmond’s arts festival, June Jubilee, she moved West in 1980 to work as the Executive Director of the Utah Arts Festival in Salt Lake City. There, she fell in love: with the West and with her husband, Eric, a Salt Lake native. They moved to Spokane in 1988 and raised three children, two sons, and a daughter. Olivette discovered NAMI as a result of their youngest child who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 13. She became a Family-to-Family teacher in 2014. Olivette has served on the Board of Directors for Planned Parenthood and Saint George’s School and currently also serves on the Board for NAMI Washington. She is passionate about NAMI’s mission and excited to help build its capacity to serve the many in our community who live with mental illness as well as the families and friends who love them.

Heidi Curnow

Vice President

Heidi has called Spokane home for most of her life. She grew up in Walla Walla before attending the University of Idaho where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Communication & Public Relations. She is currently the Member Experience and MarCom Operations Manager for Numerica Credit Union and has over 25 years of marketing experience working for a variety of industries.

Heidi believes in the mission and purpose of NAMI, and intends to use her marketing and communications experience to help raise awareness for the NAMI Spokane programs that provide education, support, and advocacy for those impacted by mental illness. Heidi and her husband have two children; enjoy being on the water and exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Alexis Lundgren

Member-at-Large

Alexis has a B.A. in Spanish and a J.D. from the University of Idaho. She moved to Spokane in 2015 to clerk for Judge Laurel Siddoway at Division Three of the Washington State Court of Appeals. She joined the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office in 2017 and has held a variety of positions there, including as a member of the Involuntary Treatment Act Unit, which represents Frontier Behavioral Health in involuntary treatment of individuals who are gravely disabled or at risk of harm to themselves or others due to mental health or substance use disorders. Alexis also briefly worked as an Assistant Attorney General representing Eastern State Hospital in involuntary treatment issues. Since June 2021, Alexis has worked as an appellate attorney in the prosecutor’s office, handling appeals from felony convictions in the court of appeals and the Washington Supreme Court.

Through professional and personal experiences, Alexis is aware of the complexities facing individuals and the community when addressing serious mental health disorders, and hopes to bring those experiences to NAMI to further its goals of supporting those who have been impacted by mental illness.

Jenae Ball

Member-At-Large

Jenae Ball is recognized as one of the leading employment lawyers in the greater Northwest. She is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. Washington Super Lawyers designated her a Rising Star from 2014 to 2018. She is rated as one of the top employment attorneys in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene Living Magazine from 2013 to 2021, and she has received a 10.0 Superb Rating from avvo.com.

Ms. Ball is the immediate Past President of the Spokane County Bar Association, is the Chair of the SCBA Task Force on Systemic Racism in our Regional Justice System, serves on the Washington State Bar Association’s Access to Justice Conference Planning Committee, serves on the Standing Advisory Committee for the Volunteer Lawyer’s Program, is a member of the Diversity Section and the Washington State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section and provides legal counsel to a number of regional boards.

She is the author of Employment in Washington, A Guide to Employment Laws, Regulations and Practices, 2014 – 2016 updates. Ms. Ball routinely provides training and seminars on strategies for proactively minimizing the risk of discrimination and harassment lawsuits. She is a frequent presenter at continuing legal education seminars and is a guest lecturer at Gonzaga University School of Law.

Ms. Ball and her husband, Lt. Col. Ret. Anthony Ball, call Spokane home, where they rear their two young boys and their dog, Dolly. In her free time, Ms. Ball enjoys spending time with her family and friends, alpine skiing, relaxing at Diamond Lake, running, cooking, reading and walking Dolly. She also enjoys bad reality TV.

Linda Williams

Member-at-large

Linda has lived in Spokane for over 35 years. She grew up in Seattle, majored in Spanish at the University of Washington, and spent a year at the University of Madrid. In the 70’s she worked several years for the Girl Scouts, organizing troops and managing volunteers in Central and South Seattle.

Linda moved to Spokane with her future husband, Tim, after getting an MBA. She worked in financial analysis over the course of 25 years at four community banks while raising two sons and a daughter. Her career wrapped up in 2015 after she’d spent several years as SVP/Treasurer at AmericanWest Bank.

Linda became involved with NAMI Spokane after her younger son was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2011. She and Tim attended a NAMI Family-to-Family course and Linda served on the NAMI Spokane board from 2016 to 2018. Her community involvement includes Transitions where she served as Board Chair from 2015 to 2017.

Linda strongly believes in NAMI’s mission and wants to work in extending the reach of NAMI Spokane as it increases programs to serve a broader part of our community.

Rob McKinney

Member-At-Large

Rob McKinney started his career in mental health counseling by obtaining a M.Div. with an emphasis in Pastoral Care and Counseling at Lincoln, IL. This is where he first developed his passion for the counseling profession. Since then, he has obtained his M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Eastern Illinois University and earned his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Kent State University.

Rob moved to Spokane in 2018 when he started working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counselor Education at Gonzaga University. Rob enjoys working as a counselor educator because he gets to instill a passion for this profession into his students, teach and foster counseling skills, and engage in both research and service opportunities.

Rob’s research interests include multicultural considerations in counseling, counseling work related to LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals, and counselor development. Within these areas, Rob has published several peer-reviewed articles and has presented at local, state, regional, national, and international conferences.

Aside from research, Rob is proud to be a member of the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (both the national division and the Washington state chapter). Rob also serves as the Chapter Faculty Advisor for Gonzaga’s chapter of Chi Sigma Iota (Gamma Chi Epsilon), the international honor society that values excellence in the counseling profession. In addition, he is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate and a National Certified Counselor.

Rob is proud to offer his services to the larger Spokane-community through NAMI Spokane. He believes in the empowerment of all people effected by mental health concerns. He is passionate about education, advocacy, and supporting those within the Spokane-area and beyond.

Shane Garcia

Member-At-Large

Shane Garcia was born in Santa Fe, NM and is a member of the Hopi Tribe and Kewa and Acoma Pueblos. Shane was raised on the Hopi Reservation and Kewa Pueblo Reservation. He moved to the Pacific Northwest Region in 2001 and graduated with a Masters in Social Work from Eastern Washington University.

Shane has a wealth of knowledge and experience working in various fields across sectors. He currently works as a Behavioral Health Therapist with the NATIVE Project in Spokane, WA. He is instrumental in the organization of Gathering at the Falls in Spokane. Shane has a passion for supporting individuals and families living with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. He enjoys working with all age groups and ensuring they have access to the support they need and do not face stigma when they are reaching out for help.

Shane is excited to bring his experience, passion and culture to NAMI Spokane. When Shane is not working you can find him training for triathlons, running, spending time with his kids and family, attending cultural community events, reading, and playing pickleball, basketball, softball, and volleyball.

Dr Pam Kohlmeier

Member-At-Large

Dr. Kohlmeier is dually licensed as a physician and an attorney in the State of Washington. She is currently a Staff Attorney and Hearings Examiner for the Washington Medical Commission after serving as a Lecturer for the Master of Public Health program at Eastern Washington University, where she taught Health Law, Professionalism, and Health Inequities. Dr. Kohlmeier practiced as a Board Certified Emergency Physician for approximately 15 years prior to becoming an attorney. She is committed to supporting patients with mental illnesses and their families, after loosing a brother and an adult child to suicide.

Julianne moved to Spokane in 2018 after living abroad in support of her spouse’s military career. Her passion for mental health research and advocacy began when her brother started to exhibit symptoms of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Eager to illuminate the biological mechanisms underlying stress-related mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety disorders, Julianne completed a doctorate in neuroscience where she investigated the effects of stress exposure on cognitive function. She has worked with non-profit organizations on a local and international level since 2012. However, the opportunity to use her background in research to advocate for mental health resources during her non-profit work abroad was particularly impactful for her. The desire to continue supporting mental health outreach and education efforts is what brought Julianne to NAMI Spokane, where she joined the Board in 2019. In her free time, Julianne spends as much time as possible enjoying the outdoors with her family and nurtures her creative side with art projects.

Don Robinson

Member-at-large

Don retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2015 as a Supervisory Special Agent after a 23-year career. During his time in the FBI, Don investigated a wide range of criminal and national security matters. Don also supervised the Coeur d’Alene FBI office from 2005 through 2012 and served as the FBI Legal Attaché in Moscow, Russia from 2012 until his retirement in 2015. While in the FBI Don was trained as a Crisis/Hostage Negotiator and served on a multidisciplinary emergency negotiation team In San Diego, California responsible for mental health crisis and suicide intervention.
Don began a second career with Kootenai Health in September 2015 as the Manager of Behavioral Health Crisis Intervention Services. In that role, he established and managed the Northern Idaho Crisis Center, one of the first behavioral health crisis centers in the state of Idaho. In 2021 Don retired (again) from Kootenai Health. He is now in private practice as a corporate security consultant and trainer specializing in behavioral threat assessment and workplace violence prevention. He is a Certified Threat Manager accredited through the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals.
Don first interacted with NAMI during his crisis intervention work in California. He continued that relationship while managing the Northern Idaho Crisis Center.
Don and his family have lived in the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene area for the past 18 years. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Jacksonville University in Florida, and he subsequently earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership degree from Gonzaga University. He and his wife Colleen are the proud parents of four children.